Greg Clarke resigned from his position as FA chairman after comments he made on race, homosexuality and women’s football.
In the same week that Manchester United became partners with Stonewall to promote LGBT+ inclusion, Manchester United Women manager Casey Stoney says Clarke was right to resign.
Clarke was speaking to MPs earlier this week, when he described black or ethnic minority players as ‘coloured’ and was also criticised for comments suggesting being gay was a ‘life choice’.
He had to resign because his backward views don’t belong in the game — and I do wonder if anyone closer to him knew about it before and didn’t raise it as a concern with colleagues. How does a man in his position think there are fewer goalkeepers in the women’s game because young girls don’t like the ball being kicked at them?
Speaking ahead of United’s WSL derby with rivals Manchester City, Casey was asked about Clarke’s remarks.
“It shows how much work we’ve still got to do,” Stoney told the Manchester Evening News.
“They are completely unacceptable. It was the right thing to stand down. There is some great work going on and we shouldn’t get away from that, there’s two separate issues, but there’s still a lot of education and work to do.
“It’s extremely disappointing especially when the person at the top of the chain is making the comments so flippantly and easily. It’s extremely disappointing. Hopefully you have to see this as an opportunity for positive change. This is a really good opportunity for that.”
With the big game on this weekend, Stoney makes a good point that she’d rather be talking about the game itself than Clarke. At least we don’t need to worry about him again.
She added: “It’s disappointing but at the same time it’s important because it raises the issue and awareness even more because there is still a problem.
“We don’t want to detract from the games at the weekend. But we have to see it as an opportunity for positive charge within the FA and within football.”
With the Head of the FA position currently vacant, Stoney was asked who she’d like to step forward: “Whether it’s a BAME candidate or female it has to be the right person for the job when can really take the FA forward to be more progressive, more inclusive, more diverse.
“Hopefully that includes the board too in terms of making positive change there. I don’t think it is diverse enough to represent society and a game that brings people together.”
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